Onegai My Sensei
by poke-a-spark
Summary: Shizuru is here but Natsuki isn't quite sure if she comes in peace. In fact, she's convinced Shizuru's going out of her way to make Natsuki's life as complicated and peace-free as possible. AU. Shiznat. Contains elements of Onegai Teacher.*ON HOLD*
1. Manic Mayo

**Warning:** **Contains shoujo ai, suggestive themes, and nudity. In short; Shizuru. It will also contain violence and coarse language. In short; Natsuki.**

**A/N:** I was watching Onegai Teacher and reading Shiznat. Thus, Onegai My Sensei was born. I'm taking the Mai HiME/Otome characters and putting them in a situation close to those of Onegai Teacher, with my own twists and plots of course.

**Summary:** Move over fictitious supernatural people; Shizuru is here and Natsuki still isn't sure if she comes in peace. In fact, she's convinced Shizuru's going out of her way to make Natsuki's life as complicated and peace-free as possible. AU. Shiznat.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mai Hime/Otome or Onegai Teacher, nor am I making a profit from writing this story. Which sucks, but that's life.

**Onegai My Teacher**

**Chapter 1 – Manic Mayo**

**OoOoOoOoOo**

_I think I had some bad mayo. I know, right? Perish the thought. Mayo can't be bad; it's like the food of the gods! Like… Like… Ambrose? No, Ambrosia. That's it. Mayo is comparable to ambrosia and so it can't be bad, right? Well normally I'd think so, but after today I'm really hoping I had some bad mayo- expired or something- because if not that means I'm either going crazy or…no. It's either bad mayo or insanity. Even entertaining the other thought is pure insanity, so it's gotta be the mayo._

_OoOoOoOoOo_

Natsuki grumbled quietly as she scraped the last of the white substance out of the small tub_. Damn Midori._ Her frown turned into an expression of bliss as she licked the last bit off of the spoon before dropping it into the now empty container. Her frown returned as she lay back in the grass, shifting for a few moments to get comfortable.

_I can't believe she forgot to buy mayo and tried to cover it up by filling the old container up with ranch sauce. I poured it all over my fried rice and nearly threw up both my lunch and breakfast. Not to mention my dinner was then inedible._ Eye twitching slightly over the incident that had forced her to drive to the nearest 24/hour convenience store to pick up mayo, Natsuki opened her eyes slowly only to widen them in surprise.

"Oh…"

It may have been late and the night of the new moon, but the sky was as bright as if the moon were full. Millions of tiny specks of light filled the sky, their luminescence especially visible against tonight's inky black backdrop. Breathing in the crisp air, Natsuki exhaled all her anger and worries, embracing the peace. The only sounds she could hear besides her own breathing were those of nature. She was far enough to not hear the sound of cars; instead she was lulled by the slight rustle of grass as the wind gently blew and the soothing sound of the gently lapping lake next to her.

Slowly being lulled into a state of slumber, Natsuki furrowed her brows slightly as the slight gusts of wind started to escalate in strength. Propping herself up on her arms, she looked at the violently swaying treetops, her hair whipping behind her uncontrollably. "What the he-," eyes wide, Natsuki desperately clutched at the grass on the ground to no avail as a sudden violent gust of wind managed to lift her and send her flying. "Shit!" Natsuki swore as she landed on her stomach a few feet away. _What the hell is this? A tornado?_

Eyes watering slightly as the wind continued to whip harshly, Natsuki struggled to her hands and knees and stared at the lake. _What. The. Fuck._ Speechless, Natsuki watched as a large whirlpool churned violently in the center of the once calm lake_. Is it even possible for whirlpools to spontaneously form in lakes?_ Gritting her teeth, she slowly and unsteadily made her way to her feet, bracing against the wind as best she could. Suddenly, like a vacuum cleaner being turned off, the whirlpool disappeared with nary a ripple of evidence left of its existence. Stumbling slightly at the sudden loss of resistance as the wind died down instantly, Natsuki blinked incredulously at the surface of the water.

Glancing around hopefully for another witness to reassure herself she wasn't hallucinating, Natsuki frowned as she heard a slight humming sound coming from the lake. Turning to face the noise, Natsuki blanched. _What the fuck was in that mayo? _In front of her, at the edge of the lake, a stream of lights coalesced to form a single cylinder of light. Slowly, as if layers upon layers of film were being removed, a figure blurred into existence.

Natsuki stared unblinkingly at the mysterious figure. Her medium-length light brown hair drifted upwards lazily in a non-existent breeze, the ends playfully twining around her upraised arms. Her eyes were closed, and from this distance Natsuki could barely make out a serene smile on her face. Despite her shocked state, she had enough bodily function to raise her eyebrow quizzically at the other's clothes. She was wearing a strange lavender outfit; the light lavender blouse faded into a darker purple as it reached the bottom in a half skirt at her knees. From underneath the shirt-skirt a pair of skin-tight midnight purple pants hugged her legs. Around her wrists and ankles were weird looking armbands with a glowing yellow strike down the middle. To top it all off, she wore a pair of white ankle boots.

Eyes slowly trailing back up the other woman, Natsuki froze, a small noise emitting from her throat. Staring back at her were two crimson orbs, the unnatural lights around her making them appear as if they were glowing. Moments passed as they silently stared into each other's eyes. Slowly the other woman closed her eyes, breaking Natsuki out of her funk.

Grabbing the empty container lying sideways at her feet, she began sprinting back into the woods towards her motorcycle. Swearing as she dodged the large overhanging branches yet still got sliced up by the thinner ones; Natsuki chanced a glance behind her only to pale at the _glowing_ figure a few meters away, causing her to stumble slightly. Picking up her pace, she glanced behind her again before letting out a short scream as the ground collapsed underneath her. The jar flew from her hands and landed with a thump as she splashed right into the deep lake.

Fighting to the surface, she coughed some water out of her lungs before taking a deep breath and submerging herself again, deciding it would be safer to swim to the opposite shore instead of risking her earlier path with the woman so close. Keeping herself deep enough in the water so as not to show any indication of her passage on the surface, she silently thanked her athleticism for her strong lungs. As it was, she gasped for breath as silently as she could while raising herself onto the bank, the surrounding trees hopefully shielding her from her pursuer's view.

Ringing her long blue hair as she picked her way up the small hill, Natsuki cringed as her shoes made a kind of squelching sound with every step she took. _God dammit, I just bought these sneakers. _Finally breaking from the tree line, she spotted the large boulder she had used to conceal her motorcycle and jogged tiredly towards it. Swiping the hair from her eyes, she straddled her baby and started the engine before speeding towards home.

OoOoOoOoOo

She strode near the edge of the forest, calmly gazing at her surroundings. Her foot kicked something hollow as she walked causing her to look down. Eyes furrowing slightly, she picked up the empty jar and examined it. _'Manic Mayo'_ was written in large curly blue letters on the front, with _'not your grandmother's mayo'_ written in smaller letters underneath. There was barely any of the white substance left; the one who left it had all but licked the container clean. Bringing it to her nose, she sniffed slightly before dropping it, her face contorting into a slight grimace.

Walking forward, she came to a stop at the edge of the forest. It was a dead end. Looking curiously around, she paused as she saw a disturbance at the edge of the water. Crouching down, she took in how the ground suddenly broke off into the water, slight tread marks telling her someone slid into the lake recently.

"Ara."

OoOoOoOoOo

Shivering, Natsuki pulled up into the driveway of the clinic and parked her bike in the back, wincing at the sputtering noise coming from the motor. Stumbling tiredly to the front door, she was about to reach for the door before it was torn open.

"Tsuki-chan!" Natsuki let her arm drop back to her side as Midori yanked her into the house. "Look, Yohko! I found Tsuki!"

Midori grinned wildly as she shook the younger girl while taking in her wet and bedraggled appearance. "Nah, nah, Tsu-ki-chan! You should have told me you were going to a wild teenage party. Us eighteen-year olds gotta stick together, you know."

Narrowing her eyes at the spiky redhead, Natsuki attempted to pry her hands off of her shoulders. "This is all your fault," she growled as Midori continued to grin idiotically. "Hah!" Exclaiming in victory, Natsuki finally escaped from Midori's grip and began sneaking to her room, only to feel a hand grabbing her ear.

"Ah, what the f-," Natsuki choked on her words as she saw Yohko smiling dangerously at her, "f-fudgesicles?"

A few moments later saw Natsuki sulking on the couch in a dry tank top and shorts while Yohko dabbed her scrapes with antiseptic. Wincing as the liquid ate at a particularly long scratch, she thought back to how she got them. Furrowing her eyebrows, she sucked her lip in thought. What was that?

"What's wrong?" Yohko asked as she placed a purple Band-Aid on Natsuki's wrist, making the younger girl wrinkle her nose at the gaudy thing.

"It's… It's nothing." Another smile caused her to quickly elaborate. "I think I was hallucinating a while ago, that's all."

"Woohoo! Go Tsuki-chan! Must've been one hell of a party." Midori bounded up behind her and draped her arms around Natsuki's shoulders before pouting. "Wahh, now I'm jealous."

Both Natsuki and Midori froze as they watched Yohko still her actions, cotton ball frozen half way to the slightly bleeding scratch. "Excuse me?"

Midori chuckled nervously and began using Natsuki more as a shield instead of an armrest, while Natsuki's eyes widened and she hurried to elaborate. "N-not that! I didn't do any of that!"

A dark purple eyebrow rose slowly causing both women to begin sweating. "Re-really!I think I had some expired mayo, or- or something!" Midori and Natsuki held their breaths in suspense, only exhaling in relief when Yohko went back to treating Natsuki.

"I see."

Natsuki exchanged glances with Midori. _Fuck. Doctors could be scary as hell._

OoOoOoOoOo

A/N: And that is the end of chapter 1, which is basically the first 4 minutes of episode 1. Very short, but it's just the intro. The next chapters will be longer if I have anything to say about it; much longer. I will update most probably tomorrow. I'm in the zone right now, and think I'm going to have a lot of fun writing this particular story.

Oh yeah. Natsuki and Nao are probably going to swear a lot, because I just can't see people with their personalities not swear. Especially when they're in the same room.


	2. Out with the Old and In with the New

**Warning: Refer to Chapter 1.**

**A/N:** I wasn't sure if I should update this story or my VVV one. I was going to wait until I got a review to update it –evil, I know,- but thanks to the reviews I did get, I stayed up –literally- all night and finished it. Mwuahuahua. Enjoy the longer chapter. I agree with you guys; the last chapter was too short. I _hate_ short chapters, so they won't turn up often. Also, I'm using both Hime and Otome names for no other reason than I feel like it.

I'm sure it goes without saying, but "Is speaking", _Is thinking_, and OoOo are page breaks. The italics in the middle of someone speaking, however, are used to emphasize. "Like _this_," Poke says knowingly as she nods her head.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mai Hime/Otome or Onegai Teacher, nor am I making a profit from writing this story. Which sucks, but that's life.

**Onegai My Sensei**

**Chapter 2 – Out with the Old and In with the New**

**OoOoOoOoOo**

_I had spent all night freaking out over what I saw. After half an hour of reassuring Yohko I was alright and trying to convince Midori I didn't sneak off to some wild party, I had retired to my room. Alone in the dark, my balcony overlooking the lake… that's when my imagination started going wild. It was only an hour before Midori burst into my room to wake me up for school that I had fallen asleep. A restless one, but it was sleep. I had managed to convince myself I was hallucinating the whole thing, but just to make extra sure, I told myself I'd ask Yukino about it in the morning. She was, after all, one of the smartest students in school._

_OoOoOoOoOo_

"Natsuki."

Natsuki shifted slightly in her sleep. Brows furrowed, she frowned slightly at the buzzing noise near her ear before settling down.

"Natsuki."

"Mnn…" Natsuki moaned sleepily as she burrowed her head further in her arms.

"Natsuki!

Natsuki lifted her head slowly, her eyes still closed. Her head hovered upright for a few moments before dropping back into her arms; a sleepy 'mayo' escaped her slightly parted lips.

"Na-"

"Oi, Mai, let me." A throat cleared. "Wake the _fuck _up, Mutt!"

"Ow! What the fuck was that for Spider!" Natsuki shot up in her chair and grabbed her throbbing head. Wincing slightly, she glared at the smug redhead slouched leisurely in the seat in front of her.

"Natsuki, language." Mai glared from her standing position near her volatile friend.

"But Mai she-," Natsuki started indignantly.

"Natsuki, do you want me to sick Mikoto on you?" Natsuki glared at the snickering redhead as she wisely fell quiet. The last time she had pissed Mai off the taller carrot top had fake-cried to Mikoto that she had insulted Mai's cooking. It was not an incident she remembered fondly. "Good girl."

Natsuki growled as Mai patted the top of her head, her glare fixated on Nao as she muttered 'good mutt' before snickering even more. "Why the f-," Natsuki winced and stumbled over her words slightly as Mai's pat became not so gentle. _Right where the Spider got me too._ "F-flying cows did you guys wake me up anyway?"

Nao's not so quiet snickers devolved into hysterical laughter at Natsuki's not so subtle save. "F-f-flying cows?" She mocked in between uncontrollable chuckles.

"Sh-shut up! Damn Spider," Natsuki growled before wincing as she was whacked on the head again. "Ow! Mai! Damn isn't a bad word! It's something beavers make to stop water from flowing!"

"Then use it to stop the stream of swear words flowing from your mouth." Mai huffed, annoyed. "Anyways, I've been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes."

"Oh. I was sleeping." Natsuki stated matter-of-factly, just barely dodging Mai's hand. Smirking at her small victory, she leant back in her chair and looked up at her friend. "So what did you want?"

Mai opened her mouth to answer before she closed it, frowning. "Why were you sleeping in class anyway? Usually you wait for class to start before you stop paying attention. Something about it not being as enjoyable without a teacher to irk?"

"What can I say," Natsuki started with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm an overachiever."

"Right. And I can shoot fire from my hands," Mai deadpanned. "What's the real reason?"

Rolling her eyes, Natsuki sighed, "I had a late night last night. Didn't get too much sleep."

"Oh?" Mai raised her eyebrows at her blue haired friend. "Up too late playing video games?"

"Wha-no!" Natsuki huffed indignantly before muttering under her breath, "You do something _once_ and people never let you forget it."

"Natsuki, you guys stayed up all night for three days straight playing that stupid zombie game." Mai interjected exasperatedly. "You flunked your tests and slept straight through the weekend, and worst of all, you missed Karaoke night!"

"It was totally worth it though. Zombie guts in HD." Nao gave Natsuki a high-five, grins on their faces.

"Oh yeah, it was strangely satisfying taking them out one by one. Damn things were f-flippin creepy." Natsuki corrected herself just in time before adopting a slight frown. "I could have done without Yohko flipping out on me though. There's just something oddly scary about someone who can stun and murder you without leaving any evidence."

"Mm," Nao agreed. "Normally I'd call you a wuss, but I agree. That woman can be damn scary when she wants to be. I don't even bother faking sick when I see that smile through the window. Fuck, I'd sit through a _math_ class before voluntarily entering a room with her alone when she's wearing that smile."

Mai swiftly whacked Nao on the head, only to whack her again when she swore in surprise. Natsuki grinned, satisfaction written all over her face. Sticking her tongue out at Nao, the redhead waited until Mai turned back to face Natsuki before flipping her the bird. "Well if it wasn't video games, why were you up late?"

Screwing her face up at Nao, she turned back to Mai and answered her question, making Mai's eye twitch in annoyance. "No reason."

Scanning the classroom, Natsuki waved Yukino over, waiting until the shy girl sat in the seat next to her. "Hey Yukino."

"Good morning Natsuki-san"

Natsuki frowned at the mousy girl. "Oi, we've been friends for years. It's Natsuki. _Just_ Natsuki."

"Sorry," Yukino smiled apologetically.

"Just don't forget," Natsuki nodded at her nod. "Anyways, I wanted to ask you something. I was at the lake last night-"

"The lake?" Mai interrupted curiously. "What were you doing at the lake?"

"Midori forgot to get mayo and I decided to stop by on my way home," Natsuki huffed, eye twitching at the memory. Mai rolled her eyes. "Anyways, something weird happened with the wind and the water."

"We call that a wave," Nao said slowly in response, as if talking to a little kid.

"I know what a wave is," Natsuki glared at Nao before turning back to the patiently waiting Yukino. "This wasn't a wave. It was a fu-lching," this earned her a few weird looks from her friends and a tight smile from Mai, "whirlpool. And there where these weird lights-"

"Ok, listen up!" Chie barged into the room. "I've got big news." Stopping suddenly, she sent a dashing smile towards the class. "Good morning. Sorry to keep you waiting." A few girls sighed happily as she winked in their direction. A throat clearing behind her made her freeze, before swiftly turning around, a blue rose in her hand. "Ah! How could I forget to greet such a beautiful maiden, a star against an otherwise inky sky, a-"

"Wrap it up Hallard," Aoi dryly stated, cheeks dusted a very faint pink. Putting down the eraser, she twirled the rose in her hand. "What's this big news you were going on about?" She played along with the taller girl.

"Right! Thanks for reminding me." Eyes sparkling behind her glasses, Chie continued to the teacher's desk before announcing to the class, "That jerk Takahashi retired!" Chie grinned hugely as the class began to chatter excitedly. "That's right folks; we're getting a new teacher." Walking over to her friends, she plopped into her seat next to Nao.

"Bet you're happy that jackass is gone," Natsuki leaned forward and whispered while Mai was preoccupied with talking to Aoi in the seats directly behind hers, the girl having taken her seat a few seconds after Chie.

"Hell yes! That asshole held me back a year!" Chie muttered back smugly, thinking back to last year's exams. All she had been doing was videotaping a fight outside between two students, Chikane and Soma, and the guy got so pissy. Though no blows were launched, the words were very heated. In Soma's case, that is. Chikane handled the fight with the cool certainty she handled everything. It was actually the highlight of the exams; rumours started almost instantaneously. "The official statement is he retired, but my sources say he was fired. They found evidence he was up to… _unsavory_ things."

Nao laughed sharply. "Fuck, Hallard, what'd you do?"

Chie just grinned silently as Yukino shook her head, a small indulgent smile on her face.

"Anyway," Natsuki flipped her hair behind her shoulder, previous conversation forgotten for the moment. "What sorry bastard are we getting stuck with? Not Squeak-Kato I hope. That guy makes it hard for people to ignore him, and even harder to understand a damn thing he says."

"Natsuki…" Mai muttered warningly from behind.

"Geez, Mai! Bastard isn't a swear word either, it's a type of sword, right Yukino?" Natsuki looked frantically at her friend who nodded whilst fixing her glasses.

"That's correct. A Bastard Sword, also known as a Long Sword or a Hand and a Half Sword, is a medieval sword. It most commonly had a more tapered and narrowly pointed blade than other swords at the time." Natsuki shot a victorious look behind her as Mai sighed in resignation, lowering her hand.

"Nope, Class-B is getting stuck with him permanently," Chie grinned. "Our new teacher's a woman; supposedly she just moved here. It was all very sudden, or so my sources say."

"Who is she?" Yukino asked as Nao stopped filing her nails for a second, curiosity getting to her.

"My sources don't know."

"Well is she hot? Young? Old? A female Takahashi?" Nao questioned, brows raised.

"My sources were unable to find that out," Chie shrugged.

"Well what the hell do your sources know?" Nao asked, annoyed.

"That she's a woman and she's new," Chie stated before ducking to avoid a thrown pencil. "Hey! I told you my sources say it was all very sudden, like today sudden. Not too much time to gather information." Chie righted her glasses, annoyed.

Nao grunted, "Just who the hell are your sources anyways?"

Chie winked at Aoi who hid a smile behind her hand. The rest of their friends huffed in annoyance at their secret. "That's classified."

"Shhh!" A kid near the back called out. "I hear her coming."

Everyone scrambled into their seats. The final warning bell had rung some time ago but the teacher hadn't showed up, so the dutiful students had taken it upon themselves to socialize instead of continuing from yesterday's lesson in their textbooks. As the last kid found his seat; a scrawny boy in the third row, silence descended upon the class.

Natsuki was able to hear the faint '_click, click'_ of the teacher's heels on the tiled floor in the hallway. Sighing, she propped her head up with one hand and lazily looked out the window. As she watched a robin chirp happily in its nest in the tree just outside the window, her vision began to fade to black around the edges. _Fuck, not now!_ Panicking slightly, she concentrated on breathing in and out, missing the collective gasp that went around the room as the new teacher stepped into the classroom and up to her desk.

The teacher set her bag on her desk before turning to the class. Eyes closed with a serene smile on her face, she spoke, "Ara…"

The class leant forward almost at once, their actions all but choreographed.

The teacher tried again, the students hanging onto her every word. "Ara…" Smile still in place, she stopped and turned around, grabbing a piece of chalk. Raising her hand, she wrote out her name on the chalk board before turning back to the class. "My name is Viola Shizuru; I will be your new homeroom and English Language teacher. I know this is sudden, and it is strange for a teacher to start midway through the year. However, I hope we have a wonderful semester." Shizuru's steady smile never wavered. "Can anyone tell me where you left off in the textbook? I believe you were working on short stories, yes?"

A few hands rose, but the fastest by far was by a girl in middle with dark green hair cut into a sharp slant. "Yes…?"

"Tomoe," Tomoe said with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. Her grey eyes gazed at the teacher in appreciation. "My name is Marguerite Tomoe, Viola-sensei."

"Ara," Shizuru smiled, turning her eyes to the girl. "And what page, Marguerite-san, did you leave off on?"

"Ah, page 168," Tomoe said, slightly flustered at the attention.

"Well then," Shizuru continued playfully looking at the class. "Who would like to begin reading?" More than half the class' hands shot into the air. Shizuru picked a tawny haired student from the front row and leant against the side of her desk, her own book opened in one hand.

Finally managing to make the darkness abate, Natsuki sighed and let her gaze wander lazily along the class. Blinking, she was surprised to find nearly every student leaning forwards in their seats, their attention riveted on the teacher. Even the boy who was reading kept trailing off slightly after every sentence, his gaze continually wandering from the open book on his desk to the front of the class. Scoffing, Natsuki was about to turn her attention back to the window when a peculiar voice caught her attention.

"Ookini, Fujimi-san. Now this story, while depressing, was actually meant by the author to emphasize the-" Natsuki's ears perked up as the smooth Kyoto-ben wrapped them in a layer of silk. Not having heard the teacher during her previous episode, she turned her attention to the front and let out a silent gasp. Eyes widening, she was unable to take her eyes off of the older woman, her lilting voice heard clearly yet the words not understood. Only one thing ran through her mind.

_Definitely not a female Takahashi._

She leant against her desk, one hand clutching the book lightly while the other rested on the wooden surface, a seemingly warm smile perpetually spread across her face. She was wearing a soft purple blouse and a flowing slanted black skirt that cut off just above her knees, reminding Natsuki of a sundress. Her black heeled shoes weren't that high, only adding about an inch to her height. Her dark blonde hair was twisted up into a bun, a few strands of hair hanging loose and framing her face. Natsuki looked closer and almost gasped again as she saw the teacher's eyes. The color of blood, Viola's crimson eyes practically shined as she spoke to the class. An odd color for sure, yet Natsuki couldn't help but admit they were oddly mesmerizing.

Though, Natsuki frowned slightly as she tilted her head. Those eyes looked…oddly familiar. As the teacher turned her back on the class to write something on the board, Natsuki blinked and shook her head lightly, losing her train of thought. _Nah._

Turning slightly, she reached under her desk and to the side for the note Nao was passing to her.

_Hot Damn :P –Chie_

_Shit. I bow to your sources. For once I'm actually glad I didn't skip English Lit –Nao_

_Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week ;D –Chie_

_What do you think Mutt? –Nao_

_She seems nice –Natsuki_

Natsuki scrolled down the page and scribbled her response, waiting for the teacher to turn around again before passing it to Chie. She watched as the two of them leant over the paper before sitting up straight and shooting her identical incredulous looks.

"What?" Natsuki mouthed confusedly.

"Seriously?" Chie mouthed back, still shocked.

Nao suddenly leant closer to Chie and whispered under her breath, "Right, the Mutt's a virgin. A very virgin-y virgin. I almost forgot."

Natsuki watched the two suspiciously. All she was able to pick out of the hushed words were, 'Mutt', 'virgin', and 'forgot'. Eye twitching, she growled inaudibly as Chie nodded back knowingly. Turning slightly, she sent a pitying glance her way and mouthed, "It's ok. I understand." Natsuki was sure if they weren't in class at the moment those words would come with a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

As Natsuki huffed indignantly and went back to gazing out the window, she was unaware that a pair of crimson eyes kept sliding over to land on her, their gaze oddly thoughtful.

_Ara._

OoOoOoOoOo

The group was walking home after classes, chatting. The topic of the day? The alluring Shizuru Viola.

"Man, I really wasn't expecting someone like that for a teacher," Chie whistled.

"Oh?" Aoi raised a brow curiously. "And what _were_ you expecting?"

"Truthfully? I'd have been happy with anyone other than Takahashi." Chie stated sheepishly.

"Hmm," Aoi hummed, eyeing Chie suspiciously. "What about you Natsuki?" She turned to the girl next to her. "What do you think about Viola-sensei?"

"Huh?" Looking up from the ground she noticed everyone's eyes on her. "She's…pretty?" Put on the spot, her uncertain words sounded more like a question than a statement. The silence stretched on, causing her face to heat up slightly. "What?" She asked crossly, glaring at everyone until they went back to their own conversations.

"Life is good," Nao snickered. "We got the bombshell Viola and Class-B got the bomb Squeak-Kato, which will most definitely blow up in their faces."

"Isn't your roommate in Class-B?" Natsuki asked, kicking a rock and watching it bounce down the road. _Not bad._

"You mean Shiho?" Nao smirked. "I can't wait to rub it in her face."

"That's not very nice," Mai frowned. "What if you were stuck with Kato-sensei?"

"Fuck, I'd skip class even more often," Nao swore. "Nah, Munakata's not that bad. A bit creepy, and a little annoying, but next to Tomoe she's a fucking saint."

"Didn't you get stuck rooming with her at the beginning of the year?" Natsuki snickered.

"Damn, that was hell. I nearly kissed Graceburt when she told me I'd be getting a new roommate when Tomoe decided to cry to her daddy to buy her a house in town." Nao walked a little too close to Mai and ended up getting thumped on the head.

"Language," Mai growled lowly as she slowly uncovered her hands from Mikoto's ears.

"Did you guys see how she was eyeing Viola the whole class? I wouldn't be surprised if she went home today and dedicated a whole room in her house as a shrine." Chie asked suddenly, shivering at the thought.

Natsuki growled. "I hate that girl." Nods of agreement followed her statement.

Mikoto tugged on Mai's shirt incessantly. Stopping when the older girl gazed down at her, the middle schooler looked at her curiously. "Mai? What's a viola? Can I eat it?"

Nao burst into laughter as Chie snickered. "Sure you can kid," Nao choked out.

"Mai!" Mikoto excitedly pulled at Mai's shirt as the older girl glared at the back of Nao's head. "Mai, I'm hungry! I want to eat a viola!"

Yukino coughed, embarrassed, while Chie and Nao started howling in laughter. Even Aoi couldn't keep a smirk from settling across her lips while Mai's face heated up. Natsuki just looked at her friends, confused. She didn't get it.

"Mi-Mikoto, I'll make you some ramen when we get home, ok?" Mai stuttered out through her embarrassment. The glare she sent Nao's way less than effective due to her flaming face.

Mikoto pouted. "But Mai," she whined, tugging on her shirt once more. "I wanna eat a viola."

"Mikoto, Viola is our new homeroom teacher, not a type of food," Mai said finally.

Mikoto grew silent. The hyenas' cackles slowed to a stop as the group walked in silence. Tugging on Mai's shirt again, she waited until the girl looked at her before asking, dejectedly, "So does that mean I can't eat a viola?" The girls burst into hysterical laughter once more.

After waving goodbye at the dorms, Natsuki and Yukino continued on to their houses, being the only ones out of the group who didn't reside in the dorms. They walked in a companionable silence, both enjoying the quiet. Fuka wasn't the largest city in Japan, but it wasn't the smallest either. Nestled in the mountains, the city boasted both a bustling community and a vast ecosystem. So while it didn't get quite as busy as, say, Tokyo, the quiet was certainly welcomed by both girls.

"Natsuki-s," Yukino paused and corrected herself. "Natsuki, you were telling me something this morning? About the lake?"

"Oh, right," Natsuki blinked as the fact dawned on her, the events of last night flashing through her mind. "I was down by the lake late last night, er, early this morning, and all of a sudden things got weird. The wind picked up, there was a giant whirlpool in the lake, and I could have sworn I saw these weird flashing lights." Natsuki explained, though kept the part about being chased by a girl to herself. _It was just the mayo. Just the mayo and food poisoning from Midori's cooking. Nothing more._

"Hmm," Yukino hummed contemplatively as they came to a stop in front of the clinic. "I'm uncertain as to what could have caused a phenomenon such as that. I'll look into it, if you want."

"Would you?" Natsuki asked, relieved. What she needed was a good ol' scientific explanation before Yohko started giving her random drug tests. She did not want to piss in a cup more than was absolutely necessary.

"Of course," Yukino waved slightly as she made her way across the street to her own house. "Good night."

"See ya," Natsuki nodded before walking up the path to the door, her hand raised to turn the handle before it was yanked swiftly open for the second time in twenty-four hours.

"Tsuki-chan!" Midori pulled the student into her arms once again, squeezing as if she were a life sized doll.

Natsuki growled and tried to push the older woman off of her. "Get," she gasped, "offa me!"

"Mah, mah!" Midori grinned as she tugged the girl into the living room where Nina lay draped across one of the armchairs, a blanket covering her and an empty bucket sitting on the floor. "You've got to tell me everything. You hear me? Everything."

"Nee-san." Nina nodded slightly from the armchair; her eyes only moving back to focus on channel surfing after her older cousin greeted her back.

Natsuki smiled sympathetically at her little cousin. Nina's father had been sent to work overseas; Nina had decided to live with her cousin and aunts instead of moving with him. She hadn't been with them long, however, and so unfortunately hadn't built up an immunity to Midori's cooking. Poor thing.

"Tsuki-chan!" Midori's whining broke Natsuki's contemplations. Growling, she pried the bubbly woman's hands off of her own. "What?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? The new teacher!" Midori exclaimed.

"What?" Natsuki shot her a confused look. "How the hell do you know we got a new teacher? You haven't been at school for the past week!"

"I've been sick," Midori stated. Natsuki raised her brows sceptically. She sure as hell didn't _look_ sick, _or_ act it for that matter. "Your friend called. The nosy one. Left a message about a new teacher. I listened to it for you; wasn't anything important." Midori waved the matter away and waited for Natsuki's response.

"Her name's Viola Shizuru," Natsuki's eye twitched. _Who the hell listens to other's messages then deletes them? Oh, wait. __**Midori**__ does._

"And?" Midori added, waiting.

"And her name's Viola Shizuru." Natsuki stated bluntly. "Where's Yohko?"

"Yohko's doing something or other over there," Midori waved distractedly in the direction of the clinical part of the house. "Man, all the interesting things happen when I'm out. What about the other stuff? Nosy said she was super hot. Is she super hot?"

Natsuki opened her mouth to answer before freezing, her eyes trailing upwards and focusing behind Midori. The silence began to unnerve the history teacher, causing her to shift uncomfortably in her seat. Even Nina had stopped channel surfing, the TV stuck on a show about rescue mice and a girl cornered by crocodiles. Midori glanced back and forth between both blunettes before sighing dejectedly. "She's right behind me, isn't she."

Wordlessly, they both nodded.

Midori twirled around, a big smile pasted on her face only for her ear to be captured by the doctor. "I think it's about time for one of our talks, don't you?" Yohko dragged her whining girlfriend out of the room.

A slam and a screech of terror rang through the house, signaling to Natsuki that it was time to make her escape. Grabbing her bag, she made her way to the hall before stopping abruptly and glancing at her cousin. Taking in her slightly disturbed expression, Natsuki reassured her before continuing to her room. "Don't worry; you'll get used to it."

Making sure to lock the door behind her, she tossed her bag on the messy bed and sighed. Rubbing her forehead, she tried to relieve the headache that always came with her near episodes, thankful only that she hadn't had a real one. _Those_ headaches were a bitch.

Sighing again, she picked her way through the piles of clothes and magazines on her floor and opened the sliding door. Stepping onto the balcony, she leant upon the railing and breathed deeply. The air was fresh; unlike the polluted air she lived in when she was young.

Viridian eyes gazed out across the sparkling lake thoughtfully. The water was calm; she could make out a few sail boats drifting lazily across its surface. It was the complete opposite of last night. There were no giant whirlpools and no flashing lights; it seems she was the only one who had noticed. _Well duh, you were the only one who ate the mayo and went to the lake. The guy in front of you probably went home and saw giant pink bunnies laying siege against his fridge or something_. Natsuki told herself sarcastically.

A sound from below caught her attention and had her looking down. A woman was unloading the back of a moving van, the sound she had heard was the thump of a box being dropped on the ground. Natsuki tilted her head confusedly, trying to place the familiar figure. It was only when crimson eyes met hers from overtop a box did it click in Natsuki's mind.

"Viola-sensei!" Natsuki exclaimed, incredulous.

"Ara, ara," Shizuru began, an amused smile tugging at her lips as Natsuki's face colored in embarrassment at her rather loud exclamation. "You're one of my students, yes? I believe you were the one gazing outside during class?"

"N-Natsuki." Natsuki blurted out, still flustered. Eyes widening at her teachers cocked eyebrow, she crossed her arms and turned her head to the side stubbornly, attempting to play her blush off as nothing. "My name. It's Kuga Natsuki."

Smile widening, Shizuru shifted the box more comfortably in her arms. "Well, Kuga-san, it seems that we're going to be neighbors."

"Eh?" Natsuki blinked and stared at her teacher, her blush all but forgotten. Natsuki followed her teachers amused gaze to the apartment building next door. A few moments passed before a metaphorical light bulb went off in her head. Oh. _Oh_. "You're moving next door?"

"Ara, that is the definition of being neighbors, no? Living next to one another?" Natsuki flushed again. _Well, damn. Way to not look like an idiot. At least the Spider wasn't here to hear it._ "Well then," Shizuru trailed off slightly before shifting the box once again. "It was nice meeting you, Kuga-san."

Natsuki watched as she made her way down the sidewalk and headed for the apartment. "W-wait!" Natsuki blinked as the teacher stopped and looked at her in confusion, before she began panicking. _Shit, that was me!_ Eyes wide, she struggled to come up with a reason for stopping the older woman, blurting out the first excuse that came to mind. "I can help if you want."

"Ara?" Shizuru was slightly surprised. Her student gave off a cool and aloof aura; she hadn't expected Natsuki to be the type to offer help to others.

"You're alone, right?" Natsuki shifted, eyes looking everywhere but her teacher. "And there are a lot of boxes…"

Shizuru smiled, "Ookini."

OoOoOoOoOo

Natsuki sighed and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. The sun was low in the sky but it was still warm, and that coupled with the exertion of the last hour of hauling boxes left her more than slightly winded. Giving the driver the stink eye as he came back from 'urgent business' only to find them all but done, Natsuki decided to catch her breath while her teacher went to talk to the man.

Stretching, she yawned as the other woman came to a stop in front of her as the van pulled away. "This is the last one."

"I'll take it," Natsuki leant down and grabbed onto the sides of the box only to see another set of hands grabbing it also.

"Ara, this box is especially heavy," Shizuru lifted the box up in unison with Natsuki. "I'll help Kuga-san bring it in."

About to protest, Natsuki's mouth slammed shut as she stumbled slightly under the box's weight. Deciding to accept her help, she ambled cautiously backwards as they slowly made their way up the stairs and to the apartment door. Switching positions and nudging the slightly opened door wide, they carefully walked into the room.

"What the hell is in this thing?" Natsuki mumbled to herself under her breath.

"It's a secret," Shizuru winked.

Startled, Natsuki looked up at Shizuru and missed the step into the next room, causing her to fumble with the box and trip into the taller blonde. As she began to fall Natsuki clenched her eyes shut in anticipation of the impact. Hearing a clunk and a sudden exhalation of breath, Natsuki frowned. For some reason I thought the floor would be harder than this.

Realizing that the 'oomph' hadn't come from her, Natsuki's eyes flew open as the blood rushed to her face. The floor wasn't hard because that's not where she landed; Shizuru had broken her fall. Natsuki almost choked when she realized the position they were in. Her teacher was sprawled out beneath her, her hair mussed up and splayed on the floor after having fallen out of its bun. Natsuki herself was sprawled on top of the older woman; she was straddling one of her thighs and her hands were placed on either side of her head, causing her to hover over the blonde.

"S-sorry!" Natsuki spluttered as she tried to get off of the teacher. "I didn't mean to-," The zipper on her sweater had gotten caught on the older woman's blouse, however, and all she managed to do was slip, causing her whole body to press down on her teacher's.

"Kuga-san," Shizuru gasped as the younger girl's face became buried in her neck, causing the girl to squeak in embarrassment.

Dying of embarrassment, Natsuki scrambled off of her as best she could, causing the woman to let out another noise. Flushed to the max, Natsuki looked everywhere but her teacher as she once again hovered over her, debating on if she should risk moving one hand to fumble with the zipper.

"Ara," Shizuru's wide crimson eyes blinked as they studied the situation they were in, a barely visible blush dusting her cheeks.

Inhaling sharply as her breath ghosted across her cheek as she spoke, Natsuki's arms began to tremble. Everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, as well as lack of sleep, came crashing down upon her. Her vision began to waver for the second time that day; this time, however, she didn't have the strength to fight it off. With one last thought, she came crashing down for the second time on top of her teacher, this time in a dead faint, unable to hear Shizuru's concerned calling of her name.

_This is… too much. It's…too...much…_

OoOoOoOoOo

**A/N:** Meh, I could have gone on, but it seemed like such a good place to stop, I couldn't help myself. The chapter length is ok, I guess. I'll try not to let them dip under 5000 words. You may not believe it from this story, but I rarely swear. That's my little sister's job; she can't go 5 words without one of them coming out as a swear word.

Mwuahua. Natsuki told Yukino what happened –sort of-, and now she's going to look into it. She's not stupid; wonder what she's going to find and how it's going to play out. Don't worry. Haruka'll show up sooner or later. It's so fun to have her one-sided fights with Shizuru; about as fun as Nao and Natsuki fighting, if I do say so myself.

The reviews were awesome- and much appreciated. I'll get right on chapter 3. It'll be longer still, and should be up by this time tomorrow. Also, this is all un-beta-ed. I'm relying on spellcheck.


	3. My Teacher is a What?

**Warning: Refer to Chapter 1.**

**A/N:** Rejoice! This chapter will conclude episode 1 of OT. For you information, I do have a few plots somewhat formed in my mind, so at some point I will start veering away from closely following the anime. In some chapters you'll recognize events from OT; in others the plot will be entirely my own.

Thank you for your kind reviews :D They make me happy inside. It's awesome that you guys are enjoying this as much as I am. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the people who added this to story alert or favorites but didn't review like it too. Also, if you find anything wrong with a chapter, please tell me; I'll go back and fix it.

I can't really think of Tomoe in a positive light either. In fact, I was having a bit of trouble thinking up a scheme evil enough for her, but I slept on it and have a few ideas. They won't come into play until way later though, so for now she's just a nuisance.

Check out the A/N at the end if you would like to influence the story, no matter how slightly.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mai Hime/Otome or Onegai Teacher, nor am I making a profit from writing this story. Anything you recognize I do not own, to put it simply. Which sucks, but that's life.

**Onegai My Sensei**

**Chapter 3 – My Teacher is a What?**

**OoOoOoOoOo**

_I didn't make the connection right away. I probably should have, and I'm embarrassed to admit all the clues were there. The crimson, the figure, the suddenness of it all; I really should have known. But no, she was the one who put the clues together first. I've got to admit, she scared the shit out of me when she did decide to confront me. What? You have something like this happen to you and then you tell me how calmly you dealt with it. That's what I thought. Bastards._

_OoOoOoOoOo_

Nina continually flicked through the channels, not letting more than a minute pass before going to the next. She was extremely bored. There had been nothing on TV all day; she should know since she's been channel surfing for the last four hours. She was feeling better, but Yohko was insistent she rest for the night. If all was well in the morning she _might_ be able to go back to school tomorrow. Whatever. Anything was better than this. Sighing, she held the button down for a few seconds before letting go, relying on chance for something half decent to watch.

"_**Go Pikachu! Use Iron Tail on that mankey!" Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder, his tail glowing a bright white-**_

_Uh, no_. She flicked the channel again.

"_**Uhhhnn, yes, yes! Right the-"**_

Eyes wide, Nina quickly flicked back to the cartoon. _On second thought, Pokémon is a classic. It'll do._

"_**I will travel across the land, searching far and wide. Each Pokémon, to understand, the power that's inside… Pokémon!"**_

Slouching further into the comfy chair, her legs hanging over one of the arms, Nina resigned herself to her fate. _Pokémon it is._ Despite her reluctance, she soon found herself getting caught up in the cartoon. She was absorbed, in fact, that she didn't even notice when Yohko walked into the room and called her name.

"Nina? Are you feeling alright?" Yohko quickly walked over to her patient, a frown on her face. "Your face is flushed. Did your fever come back?"

The sudden hand on her forehead startled her into dropping the remote. _Flushed…? Oh._ Her face colored even more as she remembered why her face was flushed in the first place. "I'm fine, really. It's noth-" She was cut off as she suddenly found a thermometer stuck in her mouth.

"Under your tongue," Yohko reminded.

Sighing through her nose, Nina did as instructed. When the apparatus beeped, Yohko swiftly grabbed it out of Nina's mouth before she could pull it out herself. Making a noise in the back of her throat, she tucked it back into her pocket. "Your temperature's normal. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

Nina smiled reassuringly, touched at the older woman's concern. "I'm fine. Really."

"If you're sure…" Yohko said, prompting a nod from the teenager. "Well, alright then. Make sure to tell me if you start to feel sick again." Bending down to pick up the remote, she quirked an eyebrow at the choice in cartoon before flicking the TV off. "It's time for dinner. You should try to eat something."

Nina slowly heaved herself off of the chair, her face twisted in a grimace. Following behind the older woman to the dining room, she sat down in her chair and poked the soup in front of her with her spoon. Half of her was expecting it to have the consistency of Jell-O.

Yohko let out a laugh while Midori pouted, both of them watching the younger girl's wary face as she fished through her bowl for surprises. "Don't worry," Yohko chuckled. "I cooked tonight."

Wariness gone in an instant, Nina scooped up some of the chicken soup. Blowing gently on the hot liquid, she put it in her mouth and swallowed it. Blinking at the taste, she quickly slurped some more. Crackers just weren't cutting it anymore; at least, not now that she was actually keeping things down.

They ate in silence for a few minutes; the clanking of spoons against glass bowls and slurping the only sounds heard from the room's occupants. A few minutes later, Nina noticed something strange. Pausing with the spoon half way to her mouth, she frowned in confusion as she spotted the empty seat at the table. "Where's Nee-san?"

"Ouf foo aree I fink," Midori mumbled around a mouthful of bread, prompting Yohko to clear her throat warningly as she sipped her coffee. Choking slightly as she quickly swallowed what was in her mouth, Midori took a big gulp of her water before trying again. "Out. She left in a hurry a few hours ago; something about helping and moving." Midori sighed dejectedly. "Two days in a row and she didn't invite me to the party either time."

"I don't think she's really gone to a party," Yohko sighed at her girlfriend's childishness. "She's not really the type to spend all night partying. Look at Mai's karaoke nights; you have to physically force her into the costumes and on stage."

"Says you," Midori muttered. "That's exactly what she wants us to think. Sneaky Tsuki-chan. Veeery sneaky." Spearing a piece of chicken, she began mumbling to herself. "Well, we'll just see how late she gets in tonight. Then, then! I, Sugiura Midori, will find out the location of the party and strong-arm her into bringing me along next time. Oh yes. Yes I will."

Not sure whether to be amused or disturbed, Nina settled on mildly worried for her cousin. Yohko inhaled; the coffee cup held between her hands helped to supress her sigh of exasperation. She could already tell it was going to be a long night.

OoOoOoOoOo

_Ow. My head._

Awareness slowly flowing back into her, the first thing Natsuki was aware of was the elephant parade stomping around in her skull. Much worse than her earlier headache, this was the pain she associated with full on episodes. Wincing, she moaned slightly in pain.

The second thing she became aware of only hit her when she shifted slightly. She wasn't in her bed, yet her head was resting on something soft. Confused, yet in too much pain to dwell on the fact at the moment, she focused on taking deep breaths.

When it didn't hurt as much to think, she allowed her normal thought processes free reign once more. Cracking her eyes open, she blinked the blurriness away. Staring at the setting sun through the window, she furrowed her brow in slight confusion.

_Huh. Wasn't it still light out…? _She sighed at the passage of time_. I hope it's still the same day, at least._

"Ara?" The soft voice caused her to start and turn her head until she was looking at upside down crimson orbs. "Are you awake now?" Well. At least she knew why her head was on something soft. It was cradled on her teacher's lap.

Still beating back the fuzziness in her mind caused by involuntary sleep, she frowned slightly. Something looked off about the woman's expression. And it wasn't because she was upside down, either.

"I had Kiyohime analyze you when you fainted, however there weren't any physical problems with your condition…" Shizuru trailed off, staring into the hazy green eyes below her. "There was nothing else I could do except make you comfortable as you slept."

Natsuki's gaze became quizzical, her mind clearing more every second. "Kiyohime?" She was under the impression her teacher lived alone. As her teacher shifted slightly, her mind was finally clear enough to comprehend the position she was in, instead of being barely aware of it. "Ah! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" Natsuki blushed deeply as she shot into a sitting position before clutching her head in pain.

Shizuru gently pulled the younger woman once more into her lap, her fingers lightly rubbing the girl's temples. "Shh, it's alright."

"I'm sorry," Natsuki slowly relaxed once more, her eyes gazing out the window instead of at the eyes studying her. "Ever since I was a little kid, this has been happening off and on. When I get weak I suddenly get lightheaded and then black out completely." She talked to fill the silence, not entirely sure why she was telling her teacher this. "I call it being stuck; I'm neither here nor there. I know what's happening beforehand, but there's little I can do to stop it."

Smiling slightly, she sat up again, this time slowly. "Thanks. It would have sucked having a lump on my head to go with the migraine." Reassuring the woman she was feeling better, Natsuki scooted a few feet away and faced her.

"If you're sure," Shizuru uttered softly, concerned eyes watching as the teenager nodded slightly with a smile, her hand rising to rub her temple.

"Yeah," Natsuki confirmed. "Just a headache left; but that's not unusual." Eyes and mind now alert, she opened her mouth as she turned to her teacher intending to thank her again only to pause. Closing her mouth, she tilted her head slightly as she studied the woman in front of her. The dim light from the window cast her in shadows; her hair, which Natsuki knew to be a dark blonde, now could be classified anywhere from light to medium brown. Trailing her thoughtful gaze down her face, she froze as she reached the other's crimson orbs, another set of crimson eyes and brown hair flashing through her mind. Inhaling sharply at that thought, Natsuki's eyes widened in surprise.

"I had hoped that you would have forgotten," Shizuru's face became an unreadable mask as she continued to gaze into startled emeralds. "About yesterday evening…"

Natsuki shifted backwards nervously. "What do you-"

"At the lake," Shizuru cut her off as she slowly stood up, watching as Natsuki gracelessly scrambled to her feet. "It was you. I was uncertain," She took a step towards her student, causing her to stumble back a few steps. "Until recently."

"T-that was-" Natsuki stuttered, cursing her luck. _Way to go, Natsuki. Of course her eyes looked familiar. Just how many people do you know with red eyes?_ Taking another step back, she bumped into one of the boxes, causing the one on the top of the stack to sway unsteadily before crashing to the floor. Many odd contraptions fell out, yet the only thing she could recognize was a box of pocky and a package of tea.

Natsuki watched as Shizuru gasped, her eyes widening. Taking advantage of her distraction, she sprinted towards the hallway. "Wait!" She heard her teacher call out frantically.

"Like hell I will!" Natsuki yelled back. There was no way she was stopping, not now that she knew the mayo was innocent.

"Kiyohime, open a wide space," Shizuru called out clearly, voice firm. "It's high priority!"

Reaching the front door, she yanked it open and ran out, only to swear. She was surrounded in a blinding whiteness for a few seconds before it faded. Blinking the white spots out of her eyes, she gazed incredulously around her. _Well fuck, Toto. Looks like we're not in Kansas anymore._

She was in a large circular domed room. The walls and floor were white and blue and so shiny it was like looking in a mirror. Around the room were several doorways; one door to the north, south, east, and west. Still stunned at what was _clearly not the apartment hallway_, Natsuki failed to notice the slight humming until a hand touched her shoulder. Jumping in fright, she twirled around and backed up.

Shizuru was no longer wearing her blouse and skirt, but was in the purple outfit Natsuki had first seen her in at the lake. "What do you want?" Natsuki panicked as her back hit one of the curved walls, yet the teacher kept coming.

"Ara," Shizuru frowned uneasily as she slowly walked closer. "I'm sorry, Kuga-san. Human's aren't allowed; it's the rules."

"Gah!" Natsuki exclaimed frantically. "You shouldn't say such ominous things!" She shifted to the left only to be cut off.

"I'm sorry," Shizuru apologized again. She didn't want to… She didn't like this. "If they know about this, if they find out… I'll be transferred back."

Natsuki glanced from side to side nervously like a cornered animal. "I won't tell anyone! Really!"

Shizuru bit her lip, coming to a stop in front of the slightly shorter girl. "Really?"

"I won't!" Natsuki exclaimed. "I'm not lying; I won't!"

Shizuru exhaled slowly, her mask falling back into place. "Prove it."

"Eh?" Natsuki asked confused before her eyes grew three times their normal size as Shizuru's purple top dissolved into a tank top with a plunging neckline. "W-what are you doing?" Natsuki manage to squeak out as the other woman pressed her up against the wall.

Shizuru pressed closer, her arms wrapped around the shorter girl's neck. "It was written in the manual."

The fear eclipsed the embarrassment she was sure she'd be feeling in any other circumstance. Only two things were running through her mind at the moment. _Ohmygod! I'm too young to die! _Was the first; the second was slightly different. _Just what the hell kind of manual was she reading?_

"It said that Earth teenagers are weak, and that the vast majority of them are susceptible to contact." Shizuru continued seriously.

"Seriously?" Natsuki couldn't help but blurt out. "What the hell kind of manual is that? And what does any of that have to do with any of this!" Flailing her arms behind her, she accidently struck an indentation in the wall. With only a low beep as a warning, the wall directly behind Natsuki slid upwards, causing both women to shriek as they suddenly toppled to the ground.

The arms around Natsuki's neck had hit the ground first and had borne most of their weight. Shizuru hissed slightly in pain as she cradled her injured elbow. "That hurt…" Blinking at the empty floor in front of her, she looked up only to see her student sprinting, having already made it halfway down the hall. "Ara, she's… really fast." Coming back to her senses, she stood up quickly and called out clearly to the empty room. "Kiyohime! Intruder alert; engage emergency state."

Natsuki stumbled slightly as a blaring siren startled her. "What now!" Eyes widening as the corridor in front of her began locking itself down, Natsuki panicked. Seeing an opening to her right, she leapt without thinking, barely avoiding being sliced in half. A disturbance a few feet further in the corridor caused her to swear, however, as another bulwark slammed into the floor, blocking the way.

"Shit, shit, shit! What now!" Natsuki turned around sharply only to watch as a bulwark slid down inches from her face, locking her in. She was trapped. Looking around frantically, she spied a break in the wall. Scrambling over to it, she jumped in fright as a white light shot into being where she touched. Hesitantly poking it, she sighed in relief as a few multi layered screens popped up. A control panel. Now all she had to do was figure out how the hell to work it.

As she was scanning her eyes over the screen –and not understanding a word of the gibberish- a slight humming made itself known in between the periodic security sirens. Turning her head slightly, her resolved sharpened as she spotted a stream of bright lights. _Not again._ Though many thought button mashing as a very beginner thing to do in gaming, Natsuki knew that sometimes mashing could be used in a tight spot as a last resort. _Tight spot? Check. Last resort? Double check._

Picking a random screen, she readied herself to click like there was no tomorrow, only to find she didn't have to. After one click, she began to feel funny. Looking around as she was surrounded in white lights her, she wasn't sure whether to be proud of her accomplishment or freaked out of her mind.

As Shizuru faded into existence, she leapt at her student. "Aw hell-" Was all she heard before her arms closed around empty air. She made a slight noise of frustration in the back of her throat.

Natsuki blinked, trying to get her eyes accustomed to her new surroundings. Instead of the blinding white of the previous rooms, this room was a very dark –almost black- grey, the only lights a series of glowing green lines on the walls. She stood at the end of a hallway overlooking a sheer drop. A path jutted out a few feet away and ended in a circular booth hanging suspended over the abyss. Squinting, she could just make out what looked like a few computer screens in the booth. _A control room?_

Alone, and without the loud sirens making her already bad headache worse, she made her way over to the connecting path, her footsteps echoing around her. Sitting down in the high-backed chair, she swiveled it around to face the monitors. Deciding to rely on button mashing once again, she leaned forward and began pressing random buttons. It's not like I can understand any of it anyways.

Flicking one of the switches on, she jumped and looked around swiftly as she began hearing her pursuer's voice. _**"Kiyohime, show me the location of the intruder."**_ Looking down again, she noticed a screen had popped up, showing her teacher still in the hallway she had just left. _**"It's very important."**_

_A dream. This is all…_ Natsuki flicked a few more buttons. _A very bad dream._ Looking up as something caught her eye, she watched as a little yellow… _thing_…. the size of her hand floated in front of her. Its head was shaped like a tear drop; its eyes were small and white. Around its stomach was a violet tube; it reminded Natsuki of the floaters children would wear at the beach.

It floated down to the console and stopped in front of the screen. Not even acknowledging her presence, it pressed a button next to the screen. _**"What's wrong Kiyohime? Hurry up and tell me."**_ Startled once more by the voice, Natsuki snapped out of it, her blank expression being replaced once more with panic. Without thinking about it, her hand shot out and swatted the thing away from the console. It was a lot lighter than she had originally thought, and she watched it fly over the side of the booth. Leaning over the edge and squinting, she could just make out the small figure lying immobile on the ground. _Oops._

"Sorry!" She called to the thing. It was kind of cute, in a weird alien kind of way. A few blurry screens popped up in front of it before disappearing. A few seconds later the booth shook horribly, forcing Natsuki to grab onto the edge to prevent herself from flying over.

The bulwarks now lifted, Shizuru ran down the hall. Stumbling into one of the walls as the room shook, she listened confusedly. "Kiyohime…" A different alarm started sounding. "She's asking for help in the control room?" Inhaling sharply, her eyes widened in panic as she watched the data flow across the screen in the corridor. "Ara, is the ship trying to return home?"

Quickly typing in a few commands, she began biting her lip. "It's set on autopilot! I can't do anything from here." Pressing a few more buttons, a new screen popped up. "Wait! That's bad, Kiyohime!" No response. "Kiyohime, what happened? Kiyohime!"

Natsuki winced as she was slammed into the chair as the room shook again. Her teacher's panicked face on the screen did nothing to dissuade her from her fears. _**"Kiyohime! Answer me please! What's wrong? What happened!" **_She had a really bad feeling about this.

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Nina lay in the chair once more, nibbling on the corner of a cracker. Bundled up in her snuggie, her eyes were riveted on the TV screen. It was late; the room was dark, the only light coming from the screen in front of her.

"_**Renamon! Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!"**_

The Pokémon marathon had ended about an hour ago. Fatigued, yet still not tired enough to sleep just yet, she had decided to stick around for a few episodes of Digimon. Just as Renamon was about to reduce the enemy virus type to data, the room began pulsing with a faint white light.

Confused, Nina slid off the chair and padded barefoot to the large window. Squinting against the continuous contrasting flashes of light and dark, she could just barely make out the origin of the light hovering over the lake.

_What the…_

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"Whirlpools are defined as a powerful circular current or vortex of water, usually produced by conflicting tidal currents or by eddying at the foot of a waterfall…" Yukino read aloud from The Free Dictionary Dot Com. Pausing, she scribbled a few notes in the journal next to her on the desk. Turning back to her laptop, she clicked on a new tab. Scrolling down, she read for a few minutes before turning back to her journal.

"_Any body of water can make a whirlpool. The varying sizes and speeds depend on: a) the movement of the water, b) the objects in the water, and c) the weather conditions."_

Humming, she put her pencil down and was about to continue her research before something caught the corner of her eye. Dimming the light on her computer, she gazed out at the lake from her window.

_Oh my._

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"Mama! Mama, quick! Wake up! We're being invaded!" Rena groggily opened her eyes as her daughter tackled her. "Aliens Mama! Aliens are heeeere!"

Wrapping her arms around her terrified daughter, she blinked the sleep away from her eyes. "Arika…?"

Looking down at the shivering girl in her arms, it took her a few moments to process what she was seeing. "Eh?" Her darling 14 year old daughter was dressed in her pajamas; a button up pink shirt and pants combo decorated with smiling cake slices and winking tarts. What she couldn't help but stare at, however, was her head. Instead of her daughter's long strawberry locks spilling loosely over her shoulders like usual, Rena stared blankly at the makeshift tinfoil hat her daughter was wearing. The shiny malleable material was covering her whole head; right up to covering the twin tufts of hair sticking out of the top of her head separately.

"Quick! Put this on!" Rena suddenly found a crumpled sheet of tinfoil shoved into her hand.

_What?_

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"Chie! Get out here!" Aoi banged on the bathroom door as she called for her roommate. The only answer she received was the continual 'pitter patter' of the water hitting the floor of the shower and Chie's rather odd rendition of Old McDonald.

"Chie!" She banged one more time.

"_**Young McHallard ran a farm, eieio! And on that farm she had a Nao, eieio. With a Nao Nao here and Nao Nao there, here a Nao, there a Nao, everywhere a Nao Nao! Young McHallard had a Nao, eieiooo!"**_

Scoffing at the words she could hear through the door, she gave up and went over to Chie's side of the room. Searching through her bag and her nightstand, she finally found what she was looking for sticking out of the sweater she had been wearing earlier.

"_**Young McHallard ran a farm, eieio! And on that farm she had a Mai, eieio! With a Mai Mai here and a Mai Mai there, here a Mai, there a Mai, everywhere a Mai Mai! Young McHallard had a Mai, eieiooo!"**_

"For the love of…" Aoi rolled her eyes as she picked up Chie's cell phone and quickly walked to the window. Flipping the lid open, she instantly began taping whatever was occurring at the lake. She'd be sorry she missed this.

_Ah well. Payback for the god awful singing._

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"Mai? Are lakes afraid of the dark?" Mikoto asked innocently as she waited at the small table for Mai to finish cooking.

"Mikoto, lakes aren't alive," Mai called from the small kitchenette. "So no; since they can't feel anything, they can't be afraid of the dark."

"But Mai," Mikoto glanced out the window again. "If they're not afraid of the dark, why does this lake need a flashlight?"

"What the fuck have you been feeding the kid?" Nao glanced oddly at the cat-girl from the other side of the table.

"Language, Nao." Mai called crossly. "Or I won't feed you."

Mouth twisting into a grimace, she wisely remained silent. She was screwed if Mai decided not to feed her; Shiho had used the last of their food for one of her weird voodoo experiments. _Damn maki maki girl._

"Mikoto, lakes don't have hands." Mai stirred the stir-fry before tasting it. _Hmm. A bit more salt._

"But Mai! If that's not a flashlight, then what is it?" Mikoto pointed outside. Sighing, Mai walked into the room and over to the window, the pan of food held in one hand. Pushing the curtains aside, she glanced outside distractedly only to freeze. Eyes widening, the pan fell from her hand.

"Ahh! The food!" Mikoto threw herself on the floor besides the pan, making the most of the ten second rule.

Curious, Nao got up and made her way to stand beside the speechless Mai. Looking outside herself, she blinked incredulously. "What the fuck is that?"

Mai, for once, didn't correct her language.

_What the fuck indeed._

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"Yohko! Look! I knew it!" Midori had her face pressed right up against the window of their room, causing it to look slightly distorted from the outside. "I knew she was partying down by the lake!" Her eyes trailed over the flashing light. "Wow, would you look at that strobe light? A party like that's gotta have some serious booze."

"Hmmm," Yohko moaned sleepily as she rolled over.

"Dammit Tsuki-chan! Why do you hate me so!" Giant crocodile tears ran down her face in rivulets. "Don't you love your aunt? Do you think me so uncool you keep leaving me at home so as to not be seen with me?"

Her tears dried up instantly as she pumped her fist in the air, a resolved expression slipping onto her face. "Well not anymore!" About-facing, she stomped with purpose to the door. "Yohko! I'm going to wait for Tsuki-chan and trick her into spilling the beans in her drunken state. Don't wait up, ok?"

"Mmm. That's nice." Yohko sighed peacefully as silence descended upon the room once more.

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"The gravity isn't being controlled…" Shizuru floated to the ceiling. "Hurry, to the bridge!" At her command, she was enveloped in lights as she was teleported to her destination. Appearing floating in the middle of the room, she looked around as a voice called out to her.

"Sensei!" Natsuki called out, her hands starting to slip.

"Kuga-san," Shizuru watched with wide eyes as her student hung on the bars beneath the control booth, her hands slipping further and further each and every minute.

"Help!" Natsuki yelped, her sweaty hands slipping a few inches. She wasn't afraid of heights but this… this was a whole different matter completely. She was freaked enough before finding herself hanging for her life. This was just the icing on the cake. "Please!"

"Of course," Shizuru called over, earlier intentions forgotten in the face of her student's fear. "I'll get you in a bit."

"A bit!" Natsuki squawked incredulously.

Looking around, Shizuru finally spotted Kiyohime lying on the ground, her eyes rolling around dizzily. "Kiyohime! Wake up!" She watched as the small yellow body twitched. "Kiyohime!"

Natsuki watched as the yellow thing finally responded by twisting up and into its tube again.

"Kiyohime, this is important," Shizuru began with a strong tone. "Set the system back to default. It's at high risk."

Adopting a serious expression, Kiyohime saluted Shizuru before a look of concentration slipped onto its face. The violet tube began to glow faintly.

Eye's wide, Natsuki watched as her teacher dropped to the ground with a gasp. Without the help of zero gravity, Natsuki's own weight became too much for her damp hands to bear, causing first one hand than the other to slip. She fell to the ground with a loud yelp, before groaning in pain.

Sitting up, Shizuru watched as her ship's cloaking device kicked in once more, making the walls invisible. "At least it's something…" She sighed. "Sensei!" A frantic call caught her attention. Turning, she locked eyes with her student's panicky ones. "Why is the teleporter," Shizuru asked, startled. "Kiyohime…" Looking down, she watched its white eyes swirl around its face, dizzy once more. "It can't be… Kiyohime!"

Getting up, she ran to her disappearing student, reaching her as she faded away completely. "Kuga-san!"

Natsuki slowly opened her clenched eyes as the hard steel floor melted into what felt like grass. Gazing around blankly at her surroundings, Natsuki pinched herself sharply. "Ouch!" _Nope. Not a hallucination._ She slowly got to her feet.

She was standing in a vast plain; a scene right out of a drug addict's wet dream. The grass was lush and green, though what differed from the norm were the intermittent stripes of pink grass. The few trees she could see in the distance were garbed in bright blue and purple leaves. As if that weren't enough, a large shadow descending on Natsuki made her look up. What she saw wasn't a cloud, however. No, that would be too normal. What she did see was a giant floating land mass, the roots still swaying beneath it in the wind.

_What. The. Fuck._

Looking around, sharp wind began blowing debris behind her. "What?" Turning around, she blanched. _Of course. How could we forget to mention the GIANT FREAKING BLACK HOLE that's sucking up everything in sight._ Bracing herself against the steadily rising wind, Natsuki cursed her luck. She watched with rising dread as a giant landmass was sucked in like suds down the drain.

Stumbling as a twig hit her in the back, she was picked up by the wind and sent tumbling with a cry. Flipping head-over-heels a few times, she came to a sudden stop as her hand was grabbed. Looking up from her prone position on her back, her eyes widened in panic as her hand slipped from her teacher's grasp.

Shizuru's hand shot forward and grasped her student's hand once more, straining to pull her back. "Kuga-san!"

"Sensei!" Natsuki gasped, relieved. She was now flailing in the wind, the only thing holding her in place was her teacher's grasp on her hand.

"Are you alright?" Shizuru asked, concerned. A particularly violent gust of wind caused Natsuki to wince as her shoulder was put under a lot of strain.

"Where the hell are we?" She yelled as a blue and purple tree nearly collided with them.

"I'll explain everything later!" Shizuru gasped out as Natsuki's hand began to slip again. "Grab my hand tightly!"

"Why should I!" Natsuki yelled, suddenly remembering that she was in this situation because the older woman had tried to dispose of her.

"Now's not the time!" At Natsuki's stubborn expression, she quickly explained. "If you let go of me, you'll be sucked into eternity and be trapped!" Natsuki's eyes widened. "That's why! Now grab my hands tightly!"

Deciding to take her chances with her alien teacher, Natsuki managed to swing herself around until her stomach was facing the ground. Shooting her empty hand forward, she tightly grasped her teacher's other hand. "You're okay? Don't let go of me." Natsuki nodded to show she understood. She was slowly reeled in as Shizuru leant back. Pressed against her teacher, she wrapped her arms her waist and clutched her tightly, burying her face in her neck.

Shizuru's gaze softened as she wrapped her own arms around the younger girl, her legs also curling slightly to keep them pressed tightly together. "Kiyohime, calculate the coordinates and execute a potent Parallel Motion to the direction of the enemy. It's high priority. Everything is up to you." Sighing as the lights began to gather around them, she clutched the girl tighter. "Let's go Kuga-san. Hold onto me tightly." Glancing around, she called out hastily. "Hurry Kiyohime!"

Gravity pulled them down with a crash, an aggravated hiss echoing in the night as a cat nearly avoided being squashed by the couple. Letting out a wince as her back hit a couple of garbage cans, Shizuru wrinkled her nose. Glancing down at the girl still attached to her waist, she gently stroked her hair. "It's alright, Kuga-san. We're alright."

Natsuki blinked as the words broke through her thoughts; the will she was mentally putting together was discarded as she quickly scrambled off of the older woman. Backing up a few steps, she looked around at the familiar surroundings. They were in the small alley between the clinic and the apartment complex.

Clearing her throat as she watched her teacher get to her feet and wipe the dust off of her pants, Natsuki quickly began backing up towards the clinic. "Th-thanks. I-uh, I gotta go. School in the morning, y'know." Natsuki lamely excused herself before dashing to the door. Opening it and locking it behind her, she leaned against it and breathed deeply. If Midori were to offer me a drink right now, I don't think I'd have it in me to decline.

Walking up to her room, she opened the door only to smack herself on the forehead. "Geez, Midori." Her aunt was sprawled eagle on her bed, one arm hanging off the side. Too tired to deal with her at the moment, she quietly closed the door and walked down the hall. Opening another door she walked in and shut it behind her.

"Wha-" Nina mumbled tiredly. "Nee-san?"

Natsuki hummed in acknowledgment as she rifled through her cousin's closet. Settling on a pair of blue shorts and a black T-shirt that had 'Good Morning is an Oxymoron' scrawled on it in yellow chicken scratch, she explained. "Midori's passed out in my room. It's just too fucking early for that." Looking at the bed, she decided to take the wall spot in case Nina felt like puking during the night. She'd like the girl to be as close to her bucket as possible.

"Mm." Nina mumbled as Natsuki clumsily climbed over her and collapsed on the bed, tugging some of the comforter out of her grasp. "She was mumbling earlier about making you tell her about a party."

"Great." Natsuki replied sarcastically, tugging the blankets over her head.

"Were you at a party?" Nina broke the silence before yawning.

"No," A muffled voice was heard. "Was by the lake again. Shh, sleep time."

"Mmkay." Nina rolled over, getting comfortable. She was okay with that.

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Shizuru bit her lip as she sat it bed, Kiyohime passed out on her nightstand. She was in quite the predicament, but to do anything to her student now would be foolish after going to such lengths to save her. Sighing, she flicked the lamp off. She'd deal with it tomorrow.

OoOoOoOoOo

Overhead, a news chopper flew through the sky, unseen by the slumbering woman. Unbeknownst to her, her small problem was about to make national television.

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**A/N:** Don't worry; I didn't give up on the bathtub scene. It'll probably be modified for the next chapter. Slightly longer than the last chapter; I could have went on, but decided sleeping was a good place to stop. I'll just add the rest to the next chapter.

Now, if you want (either in a review or a PM or e-mail) you can suggest the name of an anime character from a different anime, who may or may not make a cameo appearance. I'm tired of making students up, so if I need any extras for anything I'll just be borrowing characters from different animes. (As seen by Chikane's cameo last chapter.)

I need some students for grades 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, as well as three teachers. Chances are if they do end up in the story, it'll be in a very small role. (Like someone answering a question in class or becoming one of Tomoe's lackeys)

If you want to see your favorite anime character mentioned no matter how briefly, just tell me the name of the anime and the character. If not I'll just randomly pick people to put on my class lists. (Yes, I made class lists :P)


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